Federico García Lorca in the Plaza de Santa Ana, Madrid
Federico García Lorca and the Spanish Theater
Madrid is a museum of outdoor statues with which to stumble on a night of confusion and concoctions. Perhaps the most popular and loved by the youth is the student who rushes through the Plaza de San Ildefonso and gives the place a parallel name: the Girl's Square . But sticking to the reason for this route, it is worth highlighting the Federico Garcia Lorca who poses stoically in front of the Spanish Theater in the castiza and terracera Santa Ana Square . The statue was sculpted in 1984 by the artist Julio López Hernández with the aim of commemorating 50 years of barren and until 10 years later it was not located in its current location, just in front of one of the most important theaters in the capital. Until a couple of years ago, the poet held a lark in his hands, a bird that would appear in numerous of his verses like these, corresponding to 'summer madrigal ':
And even if you didn't love me, I would love you
for your gloomy look,
as the lark wants the new day,
just for the dew.
Today the bird has flown (a subtle way of saying that some son of a bitch stole this piece of sculpture)
Now without lark
Woody Allen's Oviedo
In the pedestrian street of Milicias Nacionales, in the heart of Oviedo, the brilliant New York filmmaker spends his days thoughtful, with his hands in his pockets and a somewhat lost look. This statue celebrates 10 years in which it has become one of the most photographed monuments in the Asturian capital. But why does Woody Allen deserve a statue here? Basically because of the free advertising that he did to the city after receiving the Prince of Asturias , which he came to describe as "fairy tale". Then there would be those expendable scenes in Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona with its consequent abuse of decontextualized folklore. But Woody is forgiven that and more.
Oviedo is not surprised by this type of monument. It could be said that it has more immortalized inhabitants than in life. In the very Plaza de Alfonso II el Casto, in front of the cathedral, the famous Ana Ozores, better known as the Regent . And it is that Leopoldo Alas Clarín placed his most recognized work here, although he did not think about marketing and called the city with a pseudonym: ancient.
woody for two
Ken Follet in front of the Old Cathedral of Vitoria
The Welsh writer spent five years researching, traveling and documenting himself to write A world without end. For this, he was inspired not by a woman, but by the history of the perpetual restoration of the Old Cathedral of Vitoria. The book, of course, was presented in the capital of Alava and had such an impact that the city only found one way to thank him: by perpetuating his figure in the Burulleria Square . Thus, one of the King Midas of today's letters will spend all eternity meditatively observing (and pretending to be interesting) the temple that fascinated him so much.
Ken Follet, 'World Without End' in Vitoria
Gaudi outside Barcelona
Whoever was one of the first brand-architects in history was not a great traveller. In fact, the few times he left his Catalonia, it was to design 3 buildings in Astorga, Leon and Comillas. Well, in these last two places they decided to petrify the visit of the modernist genius by immortalizing him in front of his work. in both is sitting meditative, although in front of the Botines house he passes more unnoticed, sitting like any other tourist. On his part, in El Capricho you can still detect the face of pride and satisfaction that the architect put on (or rather should have put on) when he saw his work finished.
Gaudí seated in his Capricho, Comillas
Almería, John Lennon and his round glasses
It was the year 1966 when Lennon spent six weeks in Almería . The reason? Well, of course, the cinema. There he had to shoot and star in the crazy How I won the war , the only film of his career in which he did not come out singing and where he played a soldier in a satire against wars. The fact is that this short period of time changed Lennon's life. It is said that the only entertainment he enjoyed on his breaks was walk by the sea to be inspired and reflect. Experts say that here he began to outline his new life, away from the Liverpool quartet and his then-wife Cynthia. Apart from transcendental decisions, his stay in Almería was an aesthetic milestone in his person.
John who looked so favored/interesting with the round prop glasses from the film, who decided that this was going to be his fetish accessory for life. Some lenses that today are destroyed by vandals in the statue with which Almería remembers him, located in the Flowers Square. In this monument, the mythical Beatle appears seated, playing a guitar and apparently happy. Next door, a space where any curious person can sit down and have an imaginary duet with this myth.
John Lennon and his iconic glasses in Almería
Churriguera in its churrigueresque Salamanca
Salamanca was not satisfied with his frog or his astronaut, no. He had to make a statue of his most famous architect, author of the most trabalinguistic style of Spanish art. His city reminds him of working, sitting at his table to his beat and supervised by the patron and financier Count Francos, in a frozen scene in the Plaza del Poeta Iglesias. Everything to celebrate in 2005 the 250 years of his famous Main Square . The stubbornness for the work that the work transmits is so great that it even feels bad to approach it, lest it frame the most unwary.
Churriguera working unstoppably in Salamanca
The Tonetti brothers in Bilbao… and in Santander The most famous clowns of the second half of the 20th century (with the permission of the TV clowns) are fondly remembered both in Santander (city of origin) and in Bilbao . In the Cantabrian city they have their own ring, a replica of the famous Atlas circus, located in the Mesones park where today they continue to make children and adults laugh. In Bilbao, they have their space in the artistic park of Doña Casilda where José Villa del Río he greets all passers-by by raising his hat.
Bilbao also has a certain tendency to perpetuate its most prominent politicians. That is why it is not surprising to find yourself in the middle of poteo Jose Antonio de Agirre i Lekub e (the first Lehendakari) standing solemnly on Calle Ercilla or surprising the Ramon Rubial (first Lehendakari of the Post-Franco regime) heading towards the Puerta de los honorables next to the Guggenheim.
Ramón Rubial walking to the Puerta de los honorables in Bilbao